What's the Gravity in my Planet?

The purpose of this activity is to find the value of the acceleration due to gravity for different planets of our solar system. Measuring displacements on a stroboscope picture of a vertical falling basketball, and calculating the corresponding falling times, students will determine the movement equation of the basketball. In this equation, students can find the gravity acceleration of the planet. A simulation of the basketball free fall will be performed using the obtained equation and graphing calculators. To close the activity, students will prepare a class presentation to show of all the work done and results obtained.

By the end of this activity students will:

- Understand the use of quadratic equations to model the fall of an object.

- Understand the use of a scale factor to transform the measured on-picture displacements into the real basket ball displacements

- Understand how to combine basic Kinematics formulas to obtain the equation modelling an object’s free fall

- Use Math and technology to simulate the fall of the basketball

- Present in class the steps followed to solve this problem and the results found

Activity Rubric Link: https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/20-projects-activities-and-assignments?playlist=2-polynomial-power-and-rational-functions

Next are some pictures from the students work and results presentation: